AGENCIES

Nearly seven lakh voters have been added to the electoral rolls in West Bengal ahead of the assembly elections, officials said, though detailed demographic data is yet to be released by the Election Commission of India.

Of the newly added electorate, about 3.22 lakh are set to vote in the first phase, while nearly 3.88 lakh will cast their ballots in the second phase, a senior official said, quoted by PTI said.

However, the commission has not clarified how many of these are first-time voters who have recently turned 18, nor provided a gender-wise break-up, reports TNN.

Data on Form-6 applications, used for inclusion in electoral rolls, and the number of rejections has also not been disclosed. Officials said only aggregate figures have been released so far, with detailed data maintained separately and likely to be shared later if required.

Following the latest revision, the total electorate in the state stands at 6,82,51,008, a number that may rise further depending on additions ordered by tribunals.

The development also follows last week’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) report, which showed West Bengal recorded net deletions of 10.9 percent, among the highest across states, with large-scale removal of deceased, shifted and duplicate voters.

Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress party, the state’s chief minister, accused India’s Election Commission of “working at the behest of the BJP” to strike off her supporters from the state’s electoral rolls.